Salvador court refuses to hold 5 more ex-soldiers

The Associated Press

El Salvador's Supreme Court has refused to order the detention of five former military officers indicted in Spain for the 1989 slayings of six Jesuit priests during the Central American country's 1980-1992 civil war.

The court had issued a similar ruling in August in the case of nine other former Salvadoran military officers in the same case.

Those nine later left the military barracks where they took refuge.

A Spanish judge issued an arrest warrant for the ex-soldiers through Interpol in May.

A court spokesman said Friday the five men could not be detained because it has not received a formal extradition request from Spain.